Imagine a culinary world without open kitchens, locally-sourced menus, and Rachael Ray’s mug splayed across a collection of groceries and cookware at Target. If the eponymous subject of “Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent” didn’t exist — or, perhaps, went into sales instead of the restaurant business — these present-day familiarities might not be so familiar.

As executive producer and fellow celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain puts it, back in the 1970s Tower created “the restaurant as scene.” The innovator himself describes his enamorment with food and first-class living as having been born out of a lonely childhood in which his well-heeled parents often left him alone in hotels and on cruise ships while they socialized.

“The worst thing that ever happened to me is that I wasn’t an orphan,” he says in the documentary. Tower’s father was a womanizer and his mother an alcoholic, though she still threw parties at which she’d get drunk before the snacks had been served. In these situations, a preteen Jeremiah would come to the rescue. “It was probably shame that started my cooking career,” he says.

Food as emotional salve is a recurring theme throughout “The Last Magnificent,” the feature debut of TV producer and occasional director Lydia Tenaglia. Styled pretentiously at times, the film presents Tower as the lone wolf he was at heart; shooting him as chef-as-martyr, roaming the Mexican desert and gazing toward the sun as his own narration plays, however, is a bit eyeroll-inducing. And once Tenaglia dispenses with the visual mythologizing, the colleague-drooling begins, although listening to commentary from celebrities such as Mario Batali, Martha Stewart, and Bourdain is much more palatable.

Tower’s career began in 1972, when he applied for a kitchen job at Berkeley’s Chez Panisse because his family was no longer funding him. He was hired after being commanded by owner Alice Waters to “do something with the soup!” during an evening rush. Quickly rising at the already-famous restaurant, he essentially became Waters’s partner (both in business and personally, although Tower’s gay), creating the menus and introducing the then-novel practice of touting food grown in the region.

When Waters took credit for his work in a cookbook she published and also became unhappy with the high-class crowds he attracted — in archival footage, she says, “You ask people for help, and they [give] you too much help” — Tower took his leave. “I can still feel the outrage,” he says. (Waters appears in vintage footage but does not appear in contemporary interviews.)

“The Last Magnificent” proceeds to detail Tower’s career and self-invented status as the first rock-star chef. That renown was the result of Stars, a restaurant he opened in San Francisco that instantly became the West Coast equivalent of Elaine’s. He didn’t keep himself tethered to the kitchen, instead chatting and drinking champagne with guests. “He was hosting a party,” a friend says. But when the party ended, he disappeared for years.

It’s at this point that Tenaglia loses control. Seeming as if the film had been spliced out of order, the story veers from Tower’s vanishing to his franchising of Stars to his reemergence in New York in the past decade — and it keeps circling, rarely explaining the reasons behind any given move, including the closing of Stars. It might be analogous to Tower’s reputation for being impossible to truly know. (“There’s a locked room inside Jeremiah,” Bourdain says. “I haven’t been there. I don’t think many people have.”) But it mars an otherwise engrossing documentary.

Tower himself contributes to the film’s appeal. Still elegant in his mid-70s, there’s no doubt of his arrogance, though that seems to be a prerequisite of the trade. He knows that his work has been extraordinary, he’s well-spoken, and he cares intensely about decorum and class.

A longtime friend says the conceit that drives him is style: “It’s a beautiful style, something that elevates and brings us out of the muck,” he says. “It brings us out of the mediocrity and out of the vulgarity in which we are forced to live.”

13 Best Documentaries to Watch on Netflix (Photos)

Documentaries and chill?

If you're getting a bit tired of endlessly scrolling through Netflix movies, try these films on for size.

Added plus: You might even accidentally learn something.

"The 13th"

Ava DuVernay's latest documentary, "The 13th" sheds light on the prison industrial system and its relation to historical inequality in the United States. It's titled after the 13th amendment which abolished slavery.

Netflix

"Blackfish"

We can pretty much credit the downfall of Sea World to Gabriela Cowperthwaite's "Blackfish," which tells the story of Tilikum, a killer whale living in captivity that killed its trainer in 2010. The film discusses the dangers to humans and the orcas who are confined in theme parks.

Magnolia Pictures

"The Black Power Mixtape"

This 2011 documentary showcases the evolution of the Black Power Movement by using footage found 30 years after it was shot by Swedish journalists. It covers the time period between 1967 to 1975 and includes interviews from Angela Davis, Huey P. Newton and Eldridge Cleaver, along with others central to the movement.

"The Imposter"

This British-American documentary is about a French imposter, Frédéric Bourdin, who presents himself to a grieving family as their missing boy Nicholas Barclay -- a 13-year-old from Texas who went missing.

"Room 237"

If you've ever wondered what mysteries lied behind Room 237 in Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining," this is the film for you.

Each segment of the film, focuses on a specific element in "The Shining" and offers different interpretations.

"What Happened, Miss Simone?"

Academy Award-nominated "What Happened, Miss Simone" features previously unreleased footage and interviews with singer Nina Simone's friends and family that tells the life story of the activist and music legend.

The film was also executive produced by Simone's daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly.

Sundance

"Into the Abyss"

Werner Herzog's "Into the Abyss" focuses on capital punishment in Texas by profiling Michael Perry, a convicted killer on Death Row for the murder of a 50-year-old nurse, among other crimes.

Some of his interviews were filmed only eight days prior to his execution.

The documentary neither focuses on Perry's innocence nor his guilt.

IFC Films

"Virunga"

This one is for all the animal lovers out there. "Virunga" focuses on four park rangers who risk their lives to protect critically endangered mountain gorillas from poachers in Congo's Virunga National Park.

Grain Media

"Biggie & Tupac"

If you've ever been curious of the mysteries surrounding the deaths of two of rap's most prominent artists, watch "Biggie & Tupac."

While the documentary doesn't give a clear answer of who killed the rap icons, the director suggests that Suge Knight was responsible for the latter's murder.

Lionsgate

"The Invisible War"

While the military is known for fighting our wars overseas, there's one silent battle within the armed forces that few are talking about -- sexual assault.

Kirby Dick's "The Invisible War" features interviews with veterans who share their experiences of sexual assault in the U.S. military.

Cinedigm/Docurama Films

"Super Size Me"

This documentary can pretty much be credited for pushing McDonald's to alter their menu to include more healthy items and getting rid of their super size option.

Morgan Spurlock takes on a 30-day challenge -- he eats at least three meals a day for 30 days from McDonald's. The film documents the changes that occur in his physical appearance, as well as his health.

Roadside Attractions

"20 Feet From Stardom"

Most of us see backup singers providing support to the main act, but rarely do we recognize their talent.

This documentary follows backup singers like Judith Hill, Darlene Love and Merry Clayton and sheds light on their lives through behind-the-scenes footage.

Radius-TWC

"Hot Girls Wanted"

The appropriately titled doc features interviews with several young porn actresses, as they discuss their experiences in the industry.

Netflix

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Stay woke

Documentaries and chill?

If you're getting a bit tired of endlessly scrolling through Netflix movies, try these films on for size.